Minor NFL Transactions: 11/24/20
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: S Deionte Thompson
Baltimore Ravens
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: OLB Pernell McPhee
Buffalo Bills
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Josh Norman
Chicago Bears
- Waived: DT Anthony Rush
Cleveland Browns
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Joe Jackson
Denver Broncos
- Activated from IR: RB LeVante Bellamy
- Waived: T Jake Rodgers
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed off Cardinals’ practice squad: LB Reggie Gilbert
- Promoted: RB Nathan Cottrell
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: K Chase McLaughlin
- Placed on IR: CB D.J. Hayden, S Daniel Thomas
Kansas City Chiefs
- Placed on IR: WR Byron Pringle
Los Angeles Rams
- Claimed off waivers from Patriots: DE Derek Rivers
New Orleans Saints
- Waived: LB Chase Hansen
New York Jets
- Promoted: RB Josh Adams
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Vance McDonald
- Promoted: TE Kevin Rader
Tennessee Titans
- Placed on IR: T Ty Sambrailo
- Waived: P Trevor Daniel, CB Greg Mabin
The Jets’ addition of Adams makes a lot of sense after rookie running back La’Mical Perine suffered a high ankle sprain that is expected to sideline him for at least a couple games. A 2018 UDFA out of Notre Dame, Adams played a significant role with the Eagles as a rookie, when he started five of 14 games and carries the ball 120 times for 511 yards and three touchdowns. Despite the reasonably productive first season, he was waived at final cuts last year.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/23/20
Today’s minor moves:
Houston Texans
- Activated from Reserve/Injured list: TE Kahale Warring
- Claimed: OL Hjalte Froholdt (from Patriots)
Los Angeles Rams
- Claimed: DE Derek Rivers (from Patriots)
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Placed on IR: TE Zach Gentry
AFC East Notes: Patriots, Newton, Jets
Midway through an up-and-down year with the Patriots, does Cam Newton want to return in 2021? The quarterback claims that he hasn’t given it much thought.
“Man, I have interest in winning the Arizona Cardinals game. How about that?” Newton told WEEI (via NBC Sports). “There are so many things that — I don’t want to even harp, dwell, or even think – as the Bible says, my cup runneth over. Just trying to focus on the near future rather than the far future.”
Newton has led the Pats to wins over the Dolphins, Raiders, and Ravens this year, but he also has seven interceptions across nine games. All in all, he’s 4-5 as the Patriots’ starter. The Patriots haven’t missed the playoffs since 2008, and they’ll be in rough shape if Newton can’t deliver against the Cardinals this weekend.
Here’s more from the AFC East:
- The Patriots had Stephon Gilmore back on the field against the Texans. The reason for his three-game absence? Gilmore says his knee injury occurred was caused by a collision in practice (via ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss). Fortunately, it looks like he’s healed up significantly, though his presence wasn’t enough for the Pats to win on Sunday.
- The Jets are expected to do some defensive demolition this offseason, according to ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini. In fact, GM Joe Douglas could wind up with seven new starters — safeties Marcus Maye and Bradley McDougald; cornerbacks Pierre Desir and Brian Poole; and linebackers Tarell Basham, Jordan Jenkins, and Neville Hewitt are all ticketed for free agency. Maye is the best of the bunch, but the Jets have flirted with trading him in the past. Defensive lineman Henry Anderson is also on the chopping block, thanks to his $9.5MM cap figure for 2021.
- Douglas will be in charge of the roster, but it’s not clear whether owner Woody Johnson or CEO Christopher Johnson will be running the show. As Cimini notes, Woody may be free to return from his ambassador role in January.
- The Dolphins benched Tua Tagovailoa against the Broncos, but the star rookie will continue to start ahead of Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Patriots Fear Rex Burkhead Has Torn ACL
It’s just not the Patriots’ year. New England lost another game at the last minute Sunday, and it looks like they’ll be without a key piece of the offense the rest of the way.
The Pats fear running back Rex Burkhead has a torn ACL, a source told Jeff Howe of The Athletic (Twitter link). Howe adds that he’ll get an MRI to confirm, but initial field tests for ACL tears are extremely accurate and almost never wrong. He was never a featured back in New England, but he’s played a consistent role for Bill Belichick over the past four years. He’ll finish the season with 67 carries for 274 yards and three touchdowns, adding 25 catches for 192 yards and another three scores through the air.
A sixth-round pick of the Bengals back in 2013, Burkhead was signed by Belichick after his rookie deal expired in 2017. Burkhead is now set to be an unrestricted free agent again this spring, and he’ll be 31 by the time next season starts. With the Pats having youngsters Damien Harris and Sony Michel in the backfield, it’s certainly possible they’ll decide to move on. That being said he remained productive this season, and was actually seeing a little bit more volume than in years past.
If this is the end of his run with the Patriots, he’ll finish it having won Super Bowl LIII with the team. At his age and now coming off the ACL tear he’ll struggle for much guaranteed money on the market, assuming he decides to keep playing.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/21/20
Here are the latest practice squad moves from around the league:
Atlanta Falcons
- Placed on practice squad reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Laquon Treadwell
Baltimore Ravens
- Released: TE Xavier Grimble
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: K Taylor Bertolet, LB Daniel Bituli
Cincinnati Bengals
- Activated from practice squad reserve/COVID-19 list: S Trayvon Henderson
- Placed on practice squad reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Stanley Morgan
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: RB Craig Reynolds
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: K Tristan Vizcaino
New England Patriots
- Signed: DT Akeem Spence
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DB DeMarkus Acy
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/21/20
Here is Saturday’s usual flood of minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted: QB Kurt Benkert
Carolina Panthers
- Promoted: DB Natrell Jamerson, LB Chris Orr
- Waived: S Sean Chandler
Cleveland Browns
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: T Jack Conklin, K Cody Parkey
- Promoted: G Michael Dunn, DE Cameron Malveaux, FB Johnny Stanton
Dallas Cowboys
- Activated from IR: T Brandon Knight
- Promoted: C Adam Redmond, CB Rashard Robinson
- Placed on IR: C Tyler Biadasz
Denver Broncos
- Activated from IR: OL Elijah Wilkinson
- Promoted: TE Troy Fumagalli, LB Josh Watson
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: P Drew Kaser
- Promoted: RB Mike Weber
Houston Texans
- Promoted: LB Nate Hall, OL Greg Mancz, RB Scottie Phillips
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Activated from IR: CB D.J. Hayden
- Promoted: RB Nathan Cottrell, LB Joe Giles-Harris, WR Terry Godwin, TE Eric Saubert
- Waived: S Doug Middleton
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted: C Joey Hunt, DE Cassius Marsh, DT Rob Windsor
Kansas City Chiefs
- Promoted: WR Gehrig Dieter, OL Bryan Witzmann
Las Vegas Raiders
- Promoted: DL David Irving
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Theo Riddick
Los Angeles Chargers
- Promoted: LB B.J. Bello, LB Cole Christiansen, S Jaylen Watkins
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Kyzir White
Los Angeles Rams
- Promoted: K Matt Gay
Miami Dolphins
- Promoted: TE Chris Myarick
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted: T Aviante Collins, LS Andrew DePaola
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: FB C.J. Ham
New England Patriots
- Promoted: LB Terez Hall, WR Donte Moncrief
- Waived: OL Hjalte Froholdt, DE Derek Rivers
New Orleans Saints
- Promoted: DT Ryan Glasgow, TE Garrett Griffin
New York Jets
- Promoted: QB Mike White
- Activated from IR: LB Frankie Luvu
- Placed on IR: CB Bless Austin
Philadelphia Eagles
- Promoted: RB Elijah Holyfield, DT T.Y. McGill, DE Joe Ostman, TE Caleb Wilson
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Activated from IR: DT Chris Wormley
Washington Football Team
- Promoted: LB Jordan Kunaszyk, T David Steinmetz
Patriots Activate RB Sony Michel
Following a six-game absence, Sony Michel is back with the Patriots. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that New England has activated the running back from injured reserve. The team will waive Hjalte Froholdt to make room on the roster. Jeff Howe of The Athletic tweets that the Patriots have also waived defensive end Derek Rivers.
Michel started each of New England’s first three games this season, but a quad injury has kept him out of the lineup for the past month-plus. It’s unlikely the 25-year-old will slide back to the top of the Patriots depth chart; former third-rounder Damien Harris has three 100-plus-yard performances since Michel went down, while both Rex Burkhead and James White continue to see work out of the backfield.
The Georgia product has been a bit trick-or-treat since being selected with the 31st-overall pick in the 2018 draft. He had a dynamic playoff run in 2018, rushing for 336 yards and six touchdowns in three games en route to a Super Bowl championship. However, Michel only averaged 3.7 yards per attempt in 2019, and he didn’t play more than 38-percent of his team’s offensive snaps through the first three weeks of the season.
Rivers was a third-round pick by the Patriots in 2017, and he’s already missed a pair of seasons due to injuries. In total, the 26-year-old has seen time in 14 games, compiling six tackles and 2.5 sacks. Froholdt, a fourth-round pick by the Patriots in 2019, appeared in eight games this season.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/18/20
Here are Wednesday’s practice squad moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: DE Jonathan Wynn
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: CB Trajan Bandy, CB Donnie Lewis
Houston Texans
- Signed: WR Artavis Scott
Las Vegas Raiders
- Placed on practice squad reserve/COVID-19 list: DL David Irving
Los Angeles Rams
- Placed on practice squad reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Kendall Blanton, DB Jake Gervase, WR J.J. Koski
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: WR Andre Patton
New England Patriots
- Signed: DT Nick Thurman
- Activated from practice squad IR: TE Jake Burt
Patriots Host DT Akeem Spence
The Patriots had a number of players in for workouts and/or visits today, including veteran defensive tackle Akeem Spence, per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter).
The 2013 fourth-round pick spent the first four seasons of his career with the Buccaneers, where he compiled 195 tackles, 10.5 sacks, and four fumble recoveries in 56 games (30 starts). He’s bounced around the league a bit since, including a 2018 campaign where he had two sacks in 16 starts for the Dolphins.
The 28-year-old started the 2019 campaign with the Eagles, but he was released after compiling only seven tackles in six games. He signed with the Jaguars soon after, and he compiled 11 tackles in nine games with Jacksonville. Spence worked out for the Bills back in August, but it’s otherwise been quiet for the veteran.
The Patriots also auditioned offensive linemen Zack Bailey, Sam Jones, Timon Parris, Ross Reynolds, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). Jones has the most NFL experience, having appeared in five games for the Broncos in 2018. The 24-year-old started the 2020 campaign with the Cardinals.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/16/20
We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: LBs Terrance Smith, Stephone Anthony
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: QB Tommy Stevens
Denver Broncos
- Signed: TE Jordan Leggett
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: WR John Hurst, RB Derrick Gore
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: LS Rex Sunahara
New England Patriots
- Signed: QB Jake Dolegala
- Released: TE David Wells
New York Giants
- Signed: CB Quincy Wilson, OL Kenny Wiggins, RB Taquan Mizzell
Washington Football Team
- Signed: DE Jalen Jelks
The Panthers were going to land Stevens as an UDFA back in April before the Saints snagged him in the seventh-round. He was recently cut from New Orleans’ practice squad last week. Stevens is a diverse athlete who played a Taysom Hill-esque role at Penn State before transferring to Mississippi State for the 2019 college season. His signing could be an indication the Panthers are worried about Teddy Bridgewater‘s status for Sunday, but since they had previous reported interest in Stevens it could be completely unrelated.